Break down your intended project, summarizing what you're intending to investigate and providing some background research and inspiration to your design concept.
In the case of sustainability, how is your project aiming to improve sustainable design and development?
In the case of targeting underserved communities, who are they? How will your project address their concerns?
An executive summary of your intent and focus - approximately 500-750 words - will be fine at this stage. Design inspirations can be included at the end as an appendix.
For many centuries, the environment has been subjected to an extensive amount of abuse and neglect with its value depleting. Society has only very recently, dedicated work and research to reverse the years of environmental mistreatment, which is an expensive process. Important issues to be addressed are humans’ inability to sustain personal lifestyles and their overconsumption of food. Sustainability urges society to meet existing needs of the present, without jeopardizing the availability of resources for future generations (Dewberry and Sherwin, 2002). The damage of the past cannot be easily reversed; therefore, society must now establish new policies and new ideas to discover a more practical way of living.
The idea, in which we present in this proposal, will be the introduction of crop cultivation implemented on a smaller scale – in the backyard of urban and suburban homes. We will coin this design, ‘Backyard Farming’. Within the redesign of farming, a drip irrigation system will be integrated with a monitored usage of chemicals such as pesticides and fertilizers. The drip irrigation system is similar to the one used by the International Development Enterprises’ drip irrigation, which utilizes drip irrigation in order to preserve water and prevent runoff. Drip irrigation will direct water right to the roots of the plants. The provided kits cost significantly less than those used in commercial farming, while less water will be wasted and a sufficient amount will be absorbed, increasing productivity.
The design will consist of a new form of drip irrigation with monitored use of chemicals, such as fertilizers and pesticides, to ensure productive crops in a more compact environment. The redesign of farming provides humans with the ability to productively grow their own crops and influence a more interactive lifestyle between human and nature. Looking at sustainable agriculture which comprises of three main goals, “…environmental health, economic profitability, and social and economic equity” (Feenstra, 1997), a new design of farming may help influence the future of agriculture. Sustainable agriculture is designed for farmers to produce crops and livestock without causing severe or irreversible damage to ecosystem health.
Currently, the high demand of agricultural goods has lead to intensive farming, which requires a rigorous amount of labour and capital as well as a dangerous amount in the use of fertilizer, insecticides, fungicides, and herbicides to grow a profitable quantity of crops (Britannica, 2009). Intensive farming produces a high yield, with greater profits leading to a more competitive edge in the export market (Emerald Agriculture Technologies, 2007).
However, intensive farming has also lead to an extensive misuse of chemicals that are harmful to the environment. In order to grow a high yield, pesticides must be used to keep destructive insects to a minimal. While using pesticide can decrease the number of pests, there are many environmental issues associated with it. As issues related to modern farming continue with no resolution, the use of forecasting helps predicts that there will be an increase of:
1. Reduction of beneficial species. Chemical application will affect non-target organisms, including predators and parasites of pests resulting in a biological imbalance.
2. Groundwater contamination. Pesticides and fertilizers can be carried away from the application site through excessive water runoff and enter the water table.
3. Bioaccumulation, magnification of chemicals in the food chain. The amount of pesticides consumed may be passed along the food chain, increasing the concentration of chemicals within the body.
4. Somatic damage on human health. Excessive use and reliance on chemicals will lead to mutation of genes causing various cancers and disease. (Kent, 1991).
In addition, due to the high demand in agricultural crops, cash crops are grown for profit only. The extensive use of land requires for clear cutting of ancient forests to increase land use. However, by doing so, soil which is exposed has the possibility of being washed away by runoff, cycling of water and washes away soil nutrients making it susceptible to erosion (Murck, 2005). Reflected in Sarawak, Malaysia, there was a study conducted about soil fertility in relation to perennial cash crop farming (Elsevier, 2008). In order to grow enough crops to meet the demand around the world, soil degradation occurs. Soil degradation is where, “…our activities [directly or indirectly] cause it to become less vigorous or less healthy” (Cummings, 1999).
In modern day farming, many environmental issues are pushed aside and ignored in order to make increasing profits. Horizon scanning allows us to understand the cause and effects of our environment. Without the redesign of farming, many issues derive from its chemical use and ignorance of sustainability will eventually lead to affects on human health and ecology. However, with the introduction of backyard farming and drip irrigation devices, there will be moderate amount of chemicals used and less water will be wasted.
Cummings, D. (1999). What is soil degradation? Melbourne: Department of Primary Industries.
Dewberry, E., & Sherwin, C. (2002). Visioning Sustainability Through Design. GMI 37, Spring, 125-138.
Elsevie, B. V. (2008). Soil characteristics under cash crop farming in upland areas of Sarawak, Malaysia. Kochi: Science Direct.
Environmental Science, B. Murck (2005), John Wiley & Sons, NJ
Feenstra, G. (1997, Decemeber). What is Sustainable Agriculture? Retrieved November 5, 2009, from University of California Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program: http://www.sarep.ucdavis.edu/Concept.htm
Break down your intended project, summarizing what you're intending to investigate and providing some background research and inspiration to your design concept.
In the case of sustainability, how is your project aiming to improve sustainable design and development?
In the case of targeting underserved communities, who are they? How will your project address their concerns?
An executive summary of your intent and focus - approximately 500-750 words - will be fine at this stage. Design inspirations can be included at the end as an appendix.
For many centuries, the environment has been subjected to an extensive amount of abuse and neglect with its value depleting. Society has only very recently, dedicated work and research to reverse the years of environmental mistreatment, which is an expensive process. Important issues to be addressed are humans’ inability to sustain personal lifestyles and their overconsumption of food. Sustainability urges society to meet existing needs of the present, without jeopardizing the availability of resources for future generations (Dewberry and Sherwin, 2002). The damage of the past cannot be easily reversed; therefore, society must now establish new policies and new ideas to discover a more practical way of living.
The idea, in which we present in this proposal, will be the introduction of crop cultivation implemented on a smaller scale – in the backyard of urban and suburban homes. We will coin this design, ‘Backyard Farming’. Within the redesign of farming, a drip irrigation system will be integrated with a monitored usage of chemicals such as pesticides and fertilizers. The drip irrigation system is similar to the one used by the International Development Enterprises’ drip irrigation, which utilizes drip irrigation in order to preserve water and prevent runoff. Drip irrigation will direct water right to the roots of the plants. The provided kits cost significantly less than those used in commercial farming, while less water will be wasted and a sufficient amount will be absorbed, increasing productivity.
The design will consist of a new form of drip irrigation with monitored use of chemicals, such as fertilizers and pesticides, to ensure productive crops in a more compact environment. The redesign of farming provides humans with the ability to productively grow their own crops and influence a more interactive lifestyle between human and nature. Looking at sustainable agriculture which comprises of three main goals, “…environmental health, economic profitability, and social and economic equity” (Feenstra, 1997), a new design of farming may help influence the future of agriculture. Sustainable agriculture is designed for farmers to produce crops and livestock without causing severe or irreversible damage to ecosystem health.
Currently, the high demand of agricultural goods has lead to intensive farming, which requires a rigorous amount of labour and capital as well as a dangerous amount in the use of fertilizer, insecticides, fungicides, and herbicides to grow a profitable quantity of crops (Britannica, 2009). Intensive farming produces a high yield, with greater profits leading to a more competitive edge in the export market (Emerald Agriculture Technologies, 2007).
However, intensive farming has also lead to an extensive misuse of chemicals that are harmful to the environment. In order to grow a high yield, pesticides must be used to keep destructive insects to a minimal. While using pesticide can decrease the number of pests, there are many environmental issues associated with it. As issues related to modern farming continue with no resolution, the use of forecasting helps predicts that there will be an increase of:
1. Reduction of beneficial species. Chemical application will affect non-target organisms, including predators and parasites of pests resulting in a biological imbalance.
2. Groundwater contamination. Pesticides and fertilizers can be carried away from the application site through excessive water runoff and enter the water table.
3. Bioaccumulation, magnification of chemicals in the food chain. The amount of pesticides consumed may be passed along the food chain, increasing the concentration of chemicals within the body.
4. Somatic damage on human health. Excessive use and reliance on chemicals will lead to mutation of genes causing various cancers and disease. (Kent, 1991).
In addition, due to the high demand in agricultural crops, cash crops are grown for profit only. The extensive use of land requires for clear cutting of ancient forests to increase land use. However, by doing so, soil which is exposed has the possibility of being washed away by runoff, cycling of water and washes away soil nutrients making it susceptible to erosion (Murck, 2005). Reflected in Sarawak, Malaysia, there was a study conducted about soil fertility in relation to perennial cash crop farming (Elsevier, 2008). In order to grow enough crops to meet the demand around the world, soil degradation occurs. Soil degradation is where, “…our activities [directly or indirectly] cause it to become less vigorous or less healthy” (Cummings, 1999).
In modern day farming, many environmental issues are pushed aside and ignored in order to make increasing profits. Horizon scanning allows us to understand the cause and effects of our environment. Without the redesign of farming, many issues derive from its chemical use and ignorance of sustainability will eventually lead to affects on human health and ecology. However, with the introduction of backyard farming and drip irrigation devices, there will be moderate amount of chemicals used and less water will be wasted.
Bibliography & References:
Britannica, E. (n.d.). Intensive Agriculture. Retrieved November 8, 2009, from Encyclopedia Britannica: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/289876/intensive-agriculture
Cummings, D. (1999). What is soil degradation? Melbourne: Department of Primary Industries.
Dewberry, E., & Sherwin, C. (2002). Visioning Sustainability Through Design. GMI 37, Spring, 125-138.
Elsevie, B. V. (2008). Soil characteristics under cash crop farming in upland areas of Sarawak, Malaysia. Kochi: Science Direct.
Environmental Science, B. Murck (2005), John Wiley & Sons, NJ
Feenstra, G. (1997, Decemeber). What is Sustainable Agriculture? Retrieved November 5, 2009, from University of California Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program: http://www.sarep.ucdavis.edu/Concept.htm
Kent, J. (1991). Farrer Center. Retrieved November 8, 2009, from Pesticides in Agriculture: http://www.regional.org.au/au/roc/1992/roc1992031.htm
Emerald Agriculture Technologies. (2007, July). Advantages of Intensive Production. Retrieved November 8, 2009, from Emerald Agriculture Technologies : http://emerald-agri.com/Advantages%20of%20Intensive%20Production.pdf